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Shipping News

Giant ore carrier springs leak, could sink in Brazil port
The world's largest iron-ore vessel is disabled and could sink in a port where Brazil's Vale, the world top producer, loads about 10 per cent of global supplies of the commodity, shipping agents and the ship's operator said.
Four firms form tanker group amid low rates
Denmark's A P Moller-Maersk, Japan's Mitsui O S K Lines and two other shipping companies are combining their supertanker fleets to better compete in a difficult freight market, the group said yesterday.
Lay-ups vital for tanker sector recovery
Crude tanker owners will have to lay up their vessels to ensure any chance of recovery in the sector in the coming months as the pace of vessel deliveries hitting the water continues to overwhelm the market, analysts said on Monday.

Strait Talk

End of the Mitropoulos era at IMO
ABOUT eight years ago, this column made some critical comments about a meeting between the European transport commissioner, the late Loyola de Palacio, and the then recently appointed International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos.

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Shipping News

Giant ore carrier springs leak, could sink in Brazil port
The world's largest iron-ore vessel is disabled and could sink in a port where Brazil's Vale, the world top producer, loads about 10 per cent of global supplies of the commodity, shipping agents and the ship's operator said.
Four firms form tanker group amid low rates
Denmark's A P Moller-Maersk, Japan's Mitsui O S K Lines and two other shipping companies are combining their supertanker fleets to better compete in a difficult freight market, the group said yesterday.
Lay-ups vital for tanker sector recovery
Crude tanker owners will have to lay up their vessels to ensure any chance of recovery in the sector in the coming months as the pace of vessel deliveries hitting the water continues to overwhelm the market, analysts said on Monday.

Strait Talk

End of the Mitropoulos era at IMO
ABOUT eight years ago, this column made some critical comments about a meeting between the European transport commissioner, the late Loyola de Palacio, and the then recently appointed International Maritime Organization (IMO) secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos.

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Auckland to lose US$15 million a year as Maersk diverts to Tauranga EU carbon tax puts Airbus sales at risk, says Chinese industry expert MSC joins Hamburg Sud, Hapag, Maersk, ANL in Oceania-California loop NOL dismisses reports that it's bidding again for Hapag-Lloyd Ningbo's sea-rail intermodal container volume doubles Iran trade faces increasing difficulties as international sanctions bite Port of Dandong to turn into northeast Asia logistics hub in five years Agility earns TAPA certification for trucking in Hong Kong Five postpanamax cranes make Vietnam's Cai Mep ready for big boxships Kuehne + Nagel's new US inland box dispatch system heightens visibility DHL kicks off Toronto-Singapore less-than-container-load service NAFTA surface trade up 13.8pc, US-Canada volume rises 35.7pc in September Hactl named air terminal of the year from SCALA 2011 for 5th straight year IATA sees bright prospects for Middle East, despite dark areas Construction starts early 2012 on India's Surat Airport cargo terminal

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APL receives first two of 32 10,000-TEU newbuildings CTL 2011 from tomorrow in Mumbai Evergreen Marine surveys VCT New VLCC pool to be launched next year Number of idle boxships decline NYK first Japanese liner to obtain third-party certification Oxfam & WWF join shipowners to urge agreement on tackling greenhouse gas emissions from ships Tanker returns climb as ship supply drops Big spurt seen in Bangla garment exports to India EU crisis won't affect FTA with India Garment exporters in Tirupur reducing output India likely to ink trade pact with Southern Africa Customs Union by Q1 2012 India, Nepal revise double taxation avoidance agreement Hooghly dredging hit due to dearth of dredgers Centre-state sparring over CST set to upset GST rollout deadline Indian economy slowing more than expected: Moody's Sugar exports notification delay may hit margins: ISMA

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
CMA CGM rate restorations in traffic from Asia CMA CGM is making the following rate restorations from 15 December. From Asia to Mexico, the west coast of Central America and the west coast of South America it will amount to USD... Germany's automotive industry makes emissions/toll proposal The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and the national association for road haulage logistics and waste removal (BGL) have submitted a proposal to the government... Bombardier wins Indian railway contract Bombardier Transportation has won a contract for propulsion and control equipment in India from Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), a joint venture between the railways minis... Swissport welcomes EU ground handling proposals Swissport, one of the world's leading providers of ground services to the aviation sector, welcomed the European Commission's proposal for new ground handling regulations that wou... Sydney Bankstown airport may expand freight operations Bankstown Airport Limited is exploring the feasibility of expanding overnight freight aircraft operations at the Airport. CEO Colin Grove recently advised the Bankstown Airport Com... Alaska Air Cargo introduces mobile cargo tracking US carrier Alaska Air Cargo has introduced a cargo tracking service called Alaska mobile track, which allows its cargo customers to track and monitor shipments from a mobile phone... DSV Solutions cooperates with Hologic UK DSV Solutions and leading medical equipment manufacturer Hologic UK have formed a new supply chain partnership covering the UK and Ireland. DSV Solutions will provide Hologic with... Europorte Channel gains HS1 authorisation Europorte Channel, which provides traction services for railfreight trains through the Channel Tunnel and international haulage from Spain and Italy to the UK, has been granted ap... Nagambie bypass opens to traffic in Australia Almost two years since work on the first section of the Nagambie bypass started it has now opened to traffic, with the overall USD 188 million project on track to be completed by ... Scandlines denies sale plans Bengt Pihl, the CEO of Scandlines, has denied press reports that Scandlines is for sale, saying that "there are no definitive sales procedures". He did add that the buyi... Panalpina launches direct Asia-Poland LCL services The logistics company Panalpina's in-house carrier Pantainer Express Line is launching two new guaranteed weekly direct LCL services from Keelung (Taiwan) and Busan (South Korea) ... Wincanton wins LaFarge contract The English logistics service provider Wincanton has signed a multi-year contract with Lafarge Cement UK which will see Wincanton work in partnership with LaFarge's in-house fleet... InterRail names Howard Lamb as new CEO The intermodal transport company InterRail, which has subsidiaries at 29 locations in 13 countries, is reorganising its executive echelons. Howard Lamb will become the enterprise'... Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker nominated for Iata board At its annual general meeting currently being held in Abu Dhabi (UAE), the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO), a 27-member regional aviation body, gave Qatar Airways CEO Akbar ...

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Rand Logistics completes acquisition of ATB $22.2 million available for latest round of Ferry Boat Grants Fredriksen gives massive backing to Frontline restructuring plan Yantai Raffles to build semi-submersible for COSL

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Past Sea-Land Services president earns Connie Award for 2011 Customs inks deal with EU for Mutual Recognition Decision US, Montenegro reach new open skies agreement Port of Port Angeles releases Final Budget report for 2012 Four firms joining up for VLCC tanker pool

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Major ports welcome Habitats Directive review Rules help environmentalists to "stall development", UK ports lobby claims Fronthaul panamax rates rise as pre-Christmas fixing picks up Lack of tonnage and increased inquiry allows owners to push for higher prices Aframax rates rally in the Mediterranean Upcoming holiday season plus Turkish Straits delays cited as main causes of price upswing Ocean Rig authorises share and bond buy-back Programme gives management discretion for up to $500m in purchases over next two years UK gives green light for armed guards on ships Move marks a shift in government attitude Rand Logistics completes purchase of Jones Act self-unloader 'Transformational' year sees company on track for growth Global shippers step up calls for worldwide conference ban New body lobbying for regulatory overhaul Pirate activity on the decline, statistics suggest Incidents in 2012 likely to be fewer than in 2011, says International Maritime Bureau India seeks more Indonesian coal imports Government predicts imports will reach 265m in 2016/2017 Almost 10% of capesize and panamax bulkers are only worth scrap value Dry bulk fleet just ahead of tankers by number of ships at demolition levels, says VesselsValue.com IOPC signs up three new states Palau, Senegal and Serbia boost number of oil pollution fund members to 108 HNS Convention will be ratified by 2013, says IOPC Just eight countries have signed so far Vale Beijing is "stable", says DNV Valemax ship remains at the port of Sao Luis Shippers divided on MSC-CMA CGM partnership ESC worried that co-operation will reduce capacity below "justifiable" levels Scaling back from boxes Where MISC leads, others may follow UK stands firm on anti-piracy measures Maritime Minister Mike Penning defends the decision to back armed guards on board as a key strategy in the fight against Somali piracy Consolidation is the last great taboo for reefers MSC tie-up with CMA CGM will tighten the squeeze on reefer specialists That's where the devil is The UN climate change conference in Durban is debating how money should be raised and what should be done with it, but proposals are light on detail China lenders to hold steady despite easing The monetary loosening sends a positive signal on demand, but do not expect ship financing to flow easily Iran sanctions create a barrier to claims New order blocks US and UK bank guarantees to Iranian interests, say insurers Battle for survival Tanker operators continue to bleed cash, but the pressure to curb costs and find new funds is set to intensify UN wants shipping cash for third-world climate change prevention But draft proposals said to lack detail Maersk and partners set to launch 50-ship VLCC pool Combined fleet of very large crude carriers scheduled to become active in February The hidden depths of pools The advantages to owners of running a group of vessels collectively are being eroded Maersk pulls Auckland service Industrial unrest pushes $16m in box business to rival Tauranga Fredriksen's Frontline bailout to create new company Ailing tanker company will hive off 'Frontline 2012' to take on newbuilding and debt commitments STX confirms crack in Vale Beijing Sinking of stricken valemax vessel in Brazil port would disrupt up to a third of Vale's iron ore shipments DP World to expand Jebel Ali hub Dubai port management giant to invest $850m over three years

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
VLCC operators form pool MOL, SAMCO Shipholding, Maersk Tankers and Singapore's Ocean Tankers said today they have signed a letter of intent to set up a 50-tanker VLCC pool ESC wants alliance 'vigilance' THE ESC called today on its members to show "vigilance" on the MSC-CMA CGM operating alliance NOL: no bid for Hapag SINGAPORE'S NOL has refuted reports elsewhere that it is again trying to acquire a stake in German rival Hapag-Lloyd Four indicted in US oil scam FOUR Venezuelans have been charged in a multimillion-dollar kickback scam involving US tanker imports from the South American country US LNG fall speeds up US LNG imports continue to plunge while a fifth US terminal, Sempra's Cameron LNG, has applied for an export conversion Clothes maketh the rates BROKERS told Fairplay today that chemical rates are recovering at last, thanks to peak garment production in northeastern Asia Heavy Oz/India uranium flow predicted AUSTRALIA can expect to ship about 2,500 tonnes of uranium to India each year within two decades, Fairplay was told today 200 held in migrant smuggling GREEK authorities are today holding 200 suspects in migrant smuggling over the past week Jebel Ali to be expanded DUBAI Ports World plans to expand its flagship port Jebel Ali in the UAE to 19M teu by 2014, from its present throughput just exceeding 1M teu per month Inpex unveils coalition sales deal for Icthys JAPAN'S Inpex today announced a sales agreement with another five companies for LNG from its Icthys project in Australia Woodside brushes off ruling AUSTRALIA'S Woodside today rejected suggestions that a court ruling has put cast doubt on its Browse LNG project RMT: cuts 'strangle' safety A LEADING transport union has reportedly slammed government cuts to the UK coastguards force Australian bumper crop boosts forecasts SHIPMENTS of agricultural products from Australia are expected to jump after the country today predicted a record winter crop Qatar and Shell agree to $6.4Bn scheme QATAR and Royal Dutch Shell have reportedly agreed to develop a $6.4Bn complex in the Ras Laffan industrial city to produce exports of petrochemicals to be shipped to Asia. Qatar and Shell agree to $6.4Bn scheme TBS nears bank deal TROUBLED TBS International has announced a tentative agreement with its lending group to restructure debt and erase remaining stock value

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Q&A: The Occupy Movements at Ports of Oakland, LA-LB, Seattle Bill Mongelluzzo, associate editor at The Journal of Commerce, discusses the Occupy movements taking place at ports along the West... Hong Kong Container Traffic Up 2 Percent Traffic through the Port of Hong Kong during the third quarter increased 2 percent year-over-year, but laden container throughput fell... MSC Details Revised Services With CMA CGM Mediterranean Shipping Co. announced the first changes in its Asia-Europe services following its Dec. 1 agreement to combine some of... CP Aims to Run 11 Percent Longer Trains by 2013 Canadian Pacific Railway aims to be able to run 11 percent longer trains by 2013 through new and expanded siding... UK to Allow Armed Guards on Ships The United Kingdom saysit will allow British-flagged ships to carry armed guards next year to defend against pirate attacks, leaving... China Manufacuturing Fuels Nylon Resin Demand Demand for durable goods will fuel specialty resin demand growth more than 4 percent annually through 2016, and Northeast China... CSAV, Boskalis Set $990 Million Value for Tug Venture Boskalis and CSAV agreed on a valuation for the $990 million harbor tug joint venture the Dutch dredging and marine... Lufthansa Cargo Opens Frankfurt Cold Cargo Facility Lufthansa Cargo began operations at a cold cargo facility at Frankfurt airport, the latest investment aimed at keeping pace with... Freight Index Fell 2.2 Percent in November The Cass Freight Index for U.S. shipments fell for the first time in nearly two years in November, slipping 2.9... Error Could Cause Thousands of TWIC Cards to Be Rejected Some 26,000 holders of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential may not be able to use their cards at an electronic... MSC-CMA CGM Pact Worries European Shippers European shippers are worried they will see rates rise because of a lack of competition caused by Mediterranean Shipping Co.... Occupy Movement Posts Schedule for Port Protests The Occupy movement has announced its schedules for marches as part of its attempt to shutdown West Coast ports on... Norbert Dentressangle Eyes Growth With China Acquisition European transport operator Norbert Dentressangle says its acquisition of APC Beijing International positions the company for larger growth in worldwide...

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Wanted: superior powers to solve the world's problems Depending on when you read this, the day of destiny [Friday December 9] for both the euro and the planet may have passed. Brussels' attempt to save the ... NOL denies bid for Hapag-Lloyd Neptune Orient Lines has deemed it necessary to deny that it is making another bid for Hapag-Lloyd, as reported in yesterday's edition of Singapore's The ... ZIM and COSCON to upgrade their Mediterranean/West Africa service Haifa-based ZIM Line and Shanghai-headquartered COSCON are to add a third vessel to their jointly operated western Mediterranean/West Africa service. The move will ... S&P threat mars 'Merkozy' deal Ratings agency, Standard and Poor's has placed 15 eurozone nations on credit watch 'with negative implications', pouring cold water over the deal crafted yesterday ... APM T sells Xiamen terminal stake Netherlands-headquartered APM Terminals (APM T) has sold its remaining 25% stake in China's Xiamen Songyu Container terminal to Hong Kong-listed Xiamen International ... DP World to raise Jebel Ali's handling capacity to 19 million TEU DP World is planning to spend USD850 million over the next three years to expand its flag ship container-handling facilities at Jebel Ali by almost 30%. The port, ... Maersk ditches Auckland after industrial unrest Maersk Line's New Zealand trade and marketing manager, Dave Gulik, said today that the company's decision to shift its Southern Star Express service from Auckland ... US jobless numbers falling The percentage of the American workforce unemployed fell to its lowest level for two and a half years in November to 8.6%, as analysts began to predict a sustained ... Soaring Thanksgiving sales 'not an indication of stronger Christmas retail' Derivatives broker GFI Group has rejected any optimism that the record spending on the recent Black Friday weekend has brought for trade on the transpacific - it ... DP World doubles Dakar's box handling capacity DP World has officially opened its new container terminal in the port of Dakar, Senegal, and in so doing effectively doubled the West African country's port's container-handling ... CSAV split in two CSAV's bondholders have agreed to CSAV being split into a vessel owning/operating arm and a separate agency company currently operating under the name of Sudamericana ...

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
Analysts judge FRO facelift Tanker giant's stock continues to climb as equity experts race to examine finer points of complex financial overhaul. USCG pops Italian bulkers Entities tied to D'Amico and Premuda land in hot water following detentions at US ports. Hapag storms Vietnam German giant tosses 9,000-teu containership into its newest transpacific liner service. Frontline flies on rescue deal John Fredriksen-controlled tanker titan sees shares race up after $500m bail-out. Winland snacks on pea pact Chinese mini-bulker specialist indulges in $2.2m deal to shift yellow peas from Canada to India. Volgaflot pockets loan Vladimir Lisin-controlled shipowner borrows $41.5m to buy stakes in sister companies. Ocean Rig kicks off buy-back DryShips drilling spin-off earmarks $500m for stock and notes repurchase. EDF taps Diana panamax UK firm ties up newest addition to US-quoted owner's fleet of bulkers for two-years. Rhyme pays Newport News' ship fitter Alfred Flythe wins $1,000 for rap tune about safety at work. Polarcus scores a double Dubai-based seismic outfit snares a charter for a newbuilding and a seismic project offshore West Africa. Precious confirms double buy Khalid Hashim-led bulker owner admits purchase of two handysizes from STX Pan Ocean. STX cools VLOC sinking fears South Korean group says potential sinking of damaged Vale Beijing a "worst case scenario". Big John saves the day John Fredriksen comes up with $500m rescue deal which will see the world's largest independent tanker company split in two.

- Ocean news	web site
DECEMBER 6, 2011
MSC leads on U.S. inbound capacity The liner carrier Mediterranean Shipping Co. provides an estimated 60,555 TEUs of weekly inbound U.S. capacity or 13.2 percent of a total 457,362 TEUs as of Dec. 4, according to American Shipper affiliate ComPair Data. Bulk carrier springs leak One of the world's largest bulk carriers, the Vale Beijing, has developed a leak while loading ore in Brazil. It was not believed the situation was so serious that the ship would sink. Maersk pulling out of Tangiers Francis and Sam, I can't find the link to Ben's Safmarine ComPair commentary from the Nov. 4 Service Tracker in the archive. I've noted in bold in the story where it should be added. Thanks! MSC joins Oceania-California PSW loop Johns given Connie Award Savage plans Oakland-Stockton container barge service Horizon registers securities for sale

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DECEMBER 6, 2011
GAC signs LNG global hub contract GAC Bunker Fuels will act as a bunker trader for ALSS's fleet. Greek players warn of fresh disruption Customs officials to stage new protests against cuts. Bunker prices down in Fujairah Competition strong in Suez. Prices soft in Northern Europe Rotterdam: Demand weak for the time of year. Bunker sector identified as funding source Reports say it is the first time a specific source has been mentioned in a UN text. Fuel oil tax keeps prices firm Russia player seeks compensation for lost revenue. Gibraltar bunker plans may have been a 'ploy' Territory's governing party faces accusation of 'scandalous' behaviour. Singapore bunker market still soft Prices down in other Asian ports. Singapore firm to tap on overseas bunker tankers Currently in talks with Chinese and Middle Eastern shipowners, says OHC Shipmanagement. Singapore bunker supplier boosts ops with new tanker Vermont to expand fleet with delivery of two more bunker tankers by March 2012. Limited 380 cSt avails at Far East Russian ports Gazpromneft mostly serving term contract orders for 380 cSt grade. Philippine police recover stolen bunker fuel Road tank wagon was hijacked.